Eddie Van Halen Got Out of a Speeding Ticket for Being Eddie Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen shared a chapter from his own high-speed history during a recent interview with Car and Driver, admitting that while he and his wife Janie were on their way to a private test drive, they put the pedal to the metal — and attracted a little extra attention from local law enforcement.

"Since I bought the V-8 R8, Audi contacted me and offered for us to go up to Infineon [Sonoma Raceway] to test-drive the V-10 on the track. You know, just go crazy," said Van Halen. "So [my wife] Janie and I drove up in her Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG. It’s a long drive and we’re doing about 90, 95 in a 65, and I get pulled over and the guy writes me up for a ticket."

Fortunately for Van Halen's insurance premiums, the story took an unexpected turn after he and the officer parted ways. "I’m going, 'The last thing I need is a speeding ticket for that much over the speed limit.' We get home and I get a letter from my office; the patrol guy who gave me the ticket, his captain voided it," he continued. "He said, 'You don’t give Eddie Van Halen a ticket,' and I had a letter to prove it. The letter came straight from the captain."

Van Halen might want to repay the captain with a ride in his new Porsche 911 GT3 RS, which he enthusiastically endorsed elsewhere in the interview. "It’s the first time ever I’ve been able to four-wheel-drift a Porsche," he marveled. "Every other Porsche I’ve ever had, I’ve spun them all. Well, every 911, anyway."